We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee , and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
This territory is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Today, the meeting place of Toronto (from the Haudenosaunee word Tkaronto) is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, on this territory.
Since mid-March the province of Ontario has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This included a state of emergency being declared for Ontario by Premier Ford. Although all Ontarians are being affected by the pandemic, we are experiencing the effects differently. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, 2-Spirit, queer and intersex (LGBTQ) communities can be impacted in a number of ways.
This information document addresses two approaches to living with COVID-19 as LGBTQ people. The first section outlines a number of challenges we may face as LGBTQ people during this crisis. The second section takes up the consideration of opportunities that can arise out of crises.
COVID-19 Crisis
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Some face health challenges, such as being immuno-compromised, have had their transition process disrupted or have experienced their mental health supports being restricted. The effects of interrupted or deprioritized health and social services can worsen troubling conditions LGBTQs experience during a pandemic
Maintaining health protocols of physical distancing and hand washing may be difficult for the homeless and/or those without access to clean, safe water supply
Those infected by the COVID-19 virus may feel particularly vulnerable being out as an LGBTQ person, whether in quarantine or in a health care setting for fear of discrimination
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LGBTQ elders may be particularly concerned regarding their health and wellness, because they fear discrimination and harassment within the healthcare system. The devastating impact of COVID-19 on older people can weigh heavily for elders in the LGBTQ communities
The disproportionate level of death in Ontario Long-Term Care (LTC) centres has highlighted the stark failure of care and support in Ontario Nursing Homes and LTC centres that are led by for-profit models. Deep structural and transformative change is necessary. (CBC, 24 April 2023)
Feelings of loneliness can be intensified during a pandemic and particularly for LGBTQ people who are self-isolating and/or in quarantine, living in hostile environments including those in multi-household families, single-led families, and independent individuals resulting in increased stress and anxiety with limited or no access to social supports
Substance Use:
LGBTQs who use alcohol and drugs to relieve stress may experience difficulty in managing their use during the pandemic, either by turning to them more or lacking the resources to access them, including social supports to assist in substance use (Rainbow Health Victoria 2023)
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Reduced or lost livelihoods, particularly for those who were precariously employed, have been furloughed or laid off or do sex work due to physical distancing
Sex is an important way in which many in the LGBTQ communities exercise our sense of core being with others through authentically expressing our desires. Physical distancing has curtailed this especially for those who seek casual, anonymous, non-monogamous or group sexual relations (Street 2023) or engage in sex work
There has been a marked disregard for community-led approaches to harm reduction and prevention practices during COVID-19 that is responsive to a range of unique and innovative approaches and needs in LGBTQ communities that the universal State-led top-down approaches to population regulation obscures
Stigmatization:
Members of the LGBTQ communities who lived through the early stages of the AIDS crisis will recall how the queer communities (along with drug users, sex workers, Haitians and other people of colour and transgender people) were deemed expendable by unsympathetic governments. The lasting effects of such discriminatory measures resulted in the continued stigmatization of the HIV virus to this day
Access to Information and the Internet:
Access to up-to-date information and supports through social media can be compromised, especially for those who are impoverished and may not have computing devices and WiFi, further complicated by the closure of libraries
Opportunity can be seen in different ways. Will the current crisis of this pandemic conflated with racism and classism be the opportunity for the long slow rise of fascism to make a giant leap forward, or will it be the opportunity for democracy to make a clear statement of “No. Never again”? Will society be measured by the power and opulence of the most advantaged or by the strength and wellbeing of the most disadvantaged? What can we learn from this crisis?
We need to be cognizant of the current state-led and top down authoritarian environment we are living in due to the pandemic. We also need to be vigilant about community informed approaches that will help us all through this crisis and thrive on new opportunities.
We are repeatedly being told, we will need to create a ‘new normal’ or that we can’t go back to life as it was. That need not necessarily be a bad thing. By having to endure this pandemic, an involuntary pause has been placed on all of us, an opportunity to stop and rethink how we lived pre COVID-19 and how we might do things differently upon our return post the pandemic. Of note, in the midst of this pandemic there has been an international groundswell of horrified reaction to police perpetrated anti-Black, anti-Indigenous and racist violence. A highly important social justice concern that necessitates contemplation.
Below is a list of opportunities for consideration that we believe will improve not only the lives of LGBTQ people but society in general:
Redressing Anti-Black, Anti-Indigenous and General Racism in Policing during the Pandemic:
We are currently witnessing and experiencing an explosion of outrage regarding longstanding anti-Black, Indigenous and general racism exercised by the police in the midst of this pandemic. Activists are advocating for various forms of defunding, disarming or outright abolishment of police services. These calls give rise to opportunities to redeploy police funds to other sectors or our society. Grassroots community-based Black, Indigenous, people of colour, (dis)Ability, ethnic, seniors, poverty, LGBTQ, and other groups would benefit greatly by receiving such funding and furthering our respective social justice issues.
Strengthening Sectors Outside of Law Enforcement:
Addressing the serious issue of Anti-Black and Indigenous and general racism is not limited to law enforcement. All societal sectors would benefit greatly from utilizing such funds to address their own internal systemic and structural racism and other social justices utilizing the input from community-based social justice groups
If funds were to be redeployed, the healthcare, social services and education sectors would benefit greatly with increased funding to strengthen our communities during future pandemics and in general
Personal Responsibility for Social Justice:
Personally, recommitting ourselves to a more caring, social justice-based approach of living with each other as community, in which we work towards the elimination of the isms and phobias that plague those of us who celebrate differences
Basic Income:
Further exploring the implementation of a basic income as a means to address poverty in this province. Such a system could also poise governments to react more quickly and efficiently to future economic challenges such as pandemics
Access to Water:
Ensuring access to clean and safe water in all areas of Ontario, with primary focus on implementing the promises of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee Report to supply clean water supplies and better housing for Indigenous Canadians who are vastly disproportionately affected by inadequate housing and lack of access to clean water (Canada 2015)
Re-imagining Pride day/week/month celebrations as being for and about and determined by LGBTQ people inclusive of our diversity, our politics, our creativity, without police or corporations
References
Al-Alam. (2023, June 9). “The Dark Room: Queer COVID.” Iraq. Retrieved from http://www.alalamtv.net/news/4982156/كوفيد-المثليين
Canada. (2015). Summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC). Retrieved from http://www.trc.ca/assets/pdf/Honouring_the_Truth_Reconciling_for_the_Future_July_23_2015.pdf
CBC Sunday Edition. (2023, April 26). “Canada’s For-Profit Model on Long Term Care needs to change.” Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-april-26-2023-1.5536429/canada-s-for-profit-model-of-long-term-care-has-failed-the-elderly-says-leading-expert-1.5540891
Edge Effect. (2023). Briefing Note: Impacts of COVID-19 on LGBTIQ+ People. Australia. Retrieved from http://www.edgeeffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/LGBTIQ-COVID19_EdgeEffect_30Apr.pdf
Greenhalgh, H. (2023, March 9). Religious figures blame LGBT+ people for coronavirus. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-lgbt/religious-figures-blame-lgbt-people-for-coronavirus-idUSKBN20W2HL
Human Rights Watch (2023). Press Release: Uganda LGBT Shelter Residents Arrested on COVID-19 Pretext. Retrieved from http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/03/uganda-lgbt-shelter-residents-arrested-covid-19-pretext
Islamic Azad University News Agency (ND). Examples of the Coronavirus for 7 Contemporary Man from the Perspective of the Holy Quran/Modern Man must understand that the management of the universe is in the hands of God Almighty. Retrieved from http://ana.ir/fa/news/
Kelleher, P. (2023a, April 14). Landmark lawsuit launched against Ukrainian preacher who claims coronavirus is ‘God’s punishment for same-sex marriage.’ PinkNews. Retrieved from http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2023/04/14/ukraine-patriarch-filaret-orthodox-church-kiev-patriarchate-homophobia-insight-lawsuit-coronavirus/
Kelleher, P. (2023b, March 9). Homophobic rabbi claims coronavirus outbreak is God’s divine punishment for Pride parades. PinkNews. Retrieved from http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2023/03/09/israel-rabbi-coronavirus-pride-parade-gay-god-divine-punishment-covid19-meir-mazuz/
Kim, N. (2023, May 11). South Korea struggles to contain new outbreak amid anti-gay backlash. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/11/south-korea-struggles-to-contain-new-outbreak-amid-anti-lgbt-backlash
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2023, April 17). COVID-19 and the Human Rights of LGBTI People. Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/LGBT/LGBTIpeople.pdf
Rainbow Health Victoria. (2023, April). COVID-19: Impacts for LGBTIQ Communities and Implications for Services. La Trobe University, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society. Victoria, Australia. Retrieved from http://rainbowhealthvic.org.au/media/pages/research-resources/research-briefing-paper-covid-19-impacts-for-lgbtiq-communities-and-implications-for-services/817379592-1586396368/rainbow-health-victoria-research-briefing-paper-covid-19.pdf
Street, M. (2023, March 21). Here’s What You Need to Know About Sex and COVID-19. The Advocate. Retrieved from http://www.advocate.com/health/2023/3/21/heres-what-you-need-know-about-sex-and-covid-19
York University – Queer Caucus. (2023, March 31). Queer Caucus: COVID-19 Issues and Recommendations. Toronto: York University.
In light of numerous racist incidents being reported of late in Canada, the US, and other countries, Queer Ontario (QO) calls for a concerted effort for all to engage in anti-racist actions, inclusive of individuals regarding personal behaviours and institutions regarding structural and systemic powers.
Like many we are deeply disturbed by the recent murders and assaults against racialized and Indigenous individuals. The murder of George Floyd, a US Black man, under the knee of a white US cop; the suspicious death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Canadian Black woman during an interaction with Toronto Police, the killing of Chantal Moore, an Indigenous woman in Edmundston, New Brunswick are only recent examples of blatant forms of deadly racist behaviours (see Maynard 2017). Other subtle and not so subtle forms include carding of people of colour and racial profiling by police, following racialized and Indigenous people in retail services or denying housing to these individuals, etc. Asians in particular have been targeted during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and anti-Asian racism have a long history and rests with leaders at all levels and us to redress.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has reported on the over-representation of Black people in cases resulting in serious injury or death due to use of force by the police (see OHRC 2018). QO has long supported the demands of Black Lives Matter and continue to advocate against police violence and brutality as well as all racist and colonizing actions that further inequality (see Diverlus et al. 2023). All levels of the state and each of us as individuals have a responsibility to engage in anti-racist and decolonizing measures to address this scourge.
QO is calling for not only no increases in funding at the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and all police services across the province but even further a reduction in police budgets be implemented. QO believes that these funds would be better redirected to fund anti-racist, decolonization and equity initiatives at major societal sectors such as law enforcement, corrections, health care, social services, education, etc. QO urges that part of these funds also be funnelled into racialized, Indigenous and other marginalized communities to assist in strengthening those communities and society in general. Members of these communities need better financial and social supports, and have suffered from an over-involvement in police surveillance, profiling, and interrogation which at times leads to assault and death at the hands
of police. Furthermore, QO is also open to emerging discussions about the defunding of police, with an aim toward developing radical community-based solutions to social and economic investment, community-safety, and the regulation of undesirable behaviour. That racist behaviours can continue to take place blatantly and subtly is proof that both individuals and systems need to acknowledge such racism, and importantly, address it by putting into place social changes that provide dignity and respect for every individual regardless of their race.
Queer Ontario is a provincial network of gender and sexually diverse individuals — and their allies — who are committed to questioning, challenging, and reforming the laws, institutional practices, and social norms that regulate queer people. Operating under liberationist and sex-positive principles, we fight for accessibility, recognition, and pluralism, using social media and other tactics to engage in political action, public education, and coalition-building.
References: Diverlus, Rodney, Sandy Hudson, and Syrus Marcus Ware. 2023. Until We Are Free: Reflectionsvon Black Lives Matter in Canada. Regina: University of Regina.
Maynard, Robyn. 2017. Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada From Slavery to the Present. Halifax: Fernwood.
Ontario Human Rights Commission. 2018. “A Collective Impact: Interim report on the inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service.” Toronto: OHRC.
Queer Ontario’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Part 2
Queer Liberation Theory Project Study:
Canadian Interviews Digital Exhibition Launch
Date: Sunday, October 27, 2023
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Location: The ArQuives (formerly The Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives), 34 Isabella Street, Toronto
—
Dr. Nick Mulé and Queer Ontario, through Dissident Voices Productions, are launching the Digital Exhibition to make the full and unedited interviews from the feature documentary, “QueerEdge: From Gay to Queer Liberation,” publicly available for research, education, and the general public.
Key academics, activists and artists with a queer liberation sensibility in the Toronto and Ottawa areas, discuss the values of gay liberation and how they relate to queer liberation perspectives of today.
Nick J. Mulé, PhD is Coordinator of the Sexuality Studies Program, an associate professor in the School of Social Work, cross appointed to the Faculty of Health and the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University. He is the principal investigator (PI) of the SSHRC-funded Queer Liberation Theory: Resurrection and Development research study. He directed, wrote and executive produced the feature documentary, “QueerEdge: From Gay to Queer Liberation.” He is also the founder, past chairperson and current secretary of Queer Ontario.
Queer Ontario is a provincial network of gender and sexually diverse individuals — and their allies — who are committed to questioning, challenging, and reforming the laws, institutional practices, and social norms that regulate queer people. Operating under liberationist and sex-positive principles, we fight for accessibility, recognition, and pluralism, using social media and other tactics to engage in political action, public education, and coalition-building.
Visit the QueerEdge website and view the QueerEdge trailer to learn more about the film.
Co-Sponsored by: The ArQuives; The Centre for Feminist Research, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and the Sexuality Studies Program at York University.
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